Today I am excited to welcome Lisa to Book Briefs. She is the author of the new release, The Forsaken. Her book looks absolutely awesome! I can’t wait to read and review it 🙂
1. Describe The Forsaken in a tweet. (140 characters or less)
A girl fails a government personality test and is exiled to a prison island, where she forges alliances, falls in love, and tries to escape.
2. What is the hardest part of writing a book for you?
Getting started! Once I’m on a roll, I feel like I can keep writing forever. And it’s a blast (most of the time). But finding the inspiration to begin can be more of a challenge. I tried writing a lot of novels before The Forsaken, but I never finished them. Which makes me realize that maybe finishing books is also hard! Luckily, The Forsaken is a trilogy so I get to stay inside the world of the books and play there for a while to come.
3. What character can you relate to the most and why?My protagonist Alenna Shawcross is probably the closest to my heart. But a lot of my friends tell me I’m more like Gadya (Alenna’s outspoken best friend). In terms of other writers’ novels, probably my favorite characters of all time are Elizabeth Bennett from Pride & Prejudice and Harry Potter.
4. What are some of your pet peeves? (writing or in general)
Most of my pet peeves involve drivers on the road in Los Angeles! I have no clue why drivers are so crazy out here. Whenever it rains in California, they treat it like a massive snowstorm and skid all over the road. Everyone also drives way too fast. There’s literally a wreck every single day on the Pacific Coast Highway near where I live. It’s a little bit scary.
Me: ooh bad drivers drive me crazy too! I’m a pretty calm person, but I have been known to have a tiny case of road rage at some of the stupidity I witness on the road.
5. It has been said that writers can fall into 1 of 2 categories- plotters and pantsers. So you plan out your book or are you more of the fly by the seat of your pants kind of writer?
I guess for me it’s a mix. I definitely planned out The Forsaken, and had a good idea of where the first book in the series would end. But a lot of that changed along the way once I started writing. I think a mix of planning and spontaneity works really well for me.
Just for fun
6. If we looked under your bed right now, what would we find?
I wanted to write something cool here, but I’m going to be honest. You would probably just find some dust, old shoe boxes, and possibly my cat, Ishmael, who likes to go under there and nap during the day.
7. What is a random fact that we might be surprised to learn about you?
Even though I’m a total klutz, I am actually trying to learn how to surf (my husband is helping me). It’s not going particularly well right now, but it is a lot of fun! I am not a great swimmer either, so this whole thing is a big folly. But I feel like since I live near the beach in Santa Monica, I have to give it a try. I just hope I don’t drown. 🙂
Me: I would love to learn how to surf, but balance has never been my friend. lol
8. If we had an author talent show, what would your talent be?
Well, definitely not surfing! I would probably try singing. Again, I’m not sure the audience would enjoy it, but I would probably have fun. I love singing. I will sing along to pretty much anything in the car.
Me: Yes!! me too! Let’s make it a duet haha 🙂
Hardcover, 375 pages
Published July 10th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Buy the Book: Amazon
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.
Find Lisa
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3. What character can you relate to the most and why?
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings
Hi ladies! Fun interview questions. I can relate to driver’s freaking out in the rain I used to live in PHX! Obviously you haven’t been to Utah…bad drivers! Under the bed is an interesting question…I would find a cat and probably duat bunnies. I have been seeing this book this week and it has gained my attention!
Molli @ Once Upon a Prologue
I’m excited for this book! The more I hear about it, the more I want to read it. And I love the questions you chose for Lisa, Michelle! I’d shudder to think about what’s under MY bed!
CrystalReads
Great interview! I really want to see how that surfing is coming along LOL. Also my bed it where I put everything that doesn’t have a place,so it’s a disaster.
Think
I want to read The Forsaken so bad. I loved this interview too. Great job!